Playing the ball around is now more assured than in EA Sport's past efforts, with crosses and through-balls proving more malleable than ever before. All of which means that slotting one in is all the more satisfying, and you'll want to milk the player-controlled celebrations that return after their debut in EURO 2008. It could well prove frustrating to anyone making the jump from Konami's series, as, in FIFA 09, goals are genuinely hard to come by. This slavishness to reality may be jarring to those who've plied their trade in other football franchises, and it's fascinating to see how FIFA has now set itself up as the more simulation-minded game in opposition to the instant gratification that PES offers. Playing forward is about keeping momentum, and there's a steep learning curve in getting this right. It all adds up to one of the most faithful facsimiles of the beautiful game yet seen.
#Fifa 09 ps3 tricks series
With player's attributes now more pronounced it's worth familiarising yourself with your team and capitalising on the stronger members, while FIFA's unique trick system returns and an enhanced vocabulary of moves - executed with a series of inputs on the right stick - gives more skilful players another route of attack. Matches play out with a slow and measured pace that rewards the patient and wily, and the best way to create goal-scoring chances is to slowly build up attacks, exploiting space, fiercely protecting possession and employing the right mix of brute force and delicate finesse. It all adds to an engine that could already proudly claim to be the most realistic depiction of football to date, with FIFA 09 taking it to the next level. Players running into space will call for the ball, while defenders will raise their arms to alert the linesmen of an offside attacker. FIFA's huge cast of footballers have been imbued with an added physicality that's apparent upon working your way through your first match, with collisions between two players now resulting in a series of bespoke and realistic animations. Many of the improvements in FIFA 09 will be familiar to those who dabbled in this summer's take on the European Championships, and here they nestle well with a package that's as deep as any football fan could possibly hope for and that constantly glistens with an overwhelming amount of polish.